Posts tagged Wayfinding

There are numerous ways to distinguish transit lines, including using unique names or symbols. Here and many places elsewhere, our subway goes with colors. That’s because colors are a simple and user-friendly way to organize a system. Keep reading…

Metrobus is a great way to get around, but some people avoid it because it’s not easy to remember where, exactly, buses run, or when they come to your stop. A new tool from Metro hopes to make finding that information a lot easier.
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SafeTrack is pretty much Exhibit A when it comes to how frustrating the transportation options in the Washington region can sometimes be. But as my recent move to Orlando reminded me, problems like SafeTrack are somewhat of a luxury— you have to have a rail network to even have them. My message to the DC region: it’s really not so bad! Keep reading…

This week is the last week to vote on your favorite MetroGreater finalists! Before voting closes at midnight Friday, we’re telling you about each finalist idea. Today’s featured finalists: Compass rose decals at station exits and more direct priority seating signs.
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The Olympics may be in full swing in Rio de Janeiro, but we’ve got our own nail-biting competition going on here in the Washington region. Here are the 10 finalists for the MetroGreater contest, to devise quick ways Metro can improve the rider experience. Which are your favorites?
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When a Metro train with six cars pulls into a station, there’s lots of space on the platform where you can’t actually board. Metro is testing out platform decals to let people know where 6-car trains end, which makes boarding much easier.
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You might soon be catching a Southbound Green Line train to L’Enfant Plaza and transfer to an Eastbound Orange Line train, if Metro goes ahead with a concept to revamp signs and navigation in the rail system.
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Well-known and influential designer Massimo Vignelli died yesterday at age 83. Perhaps most known (at least in transit circles) for his 1972 diagrammatic New York Subway map, he also designed the iconic pylons that stand on Metro platforms today.
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With the Silver Line close to opening, Metro has replaced signs throughout the system. But new strip maps in stations are a step backwards. They confuse many riders with labels that line up in a misleading way, and try to cram too much information on the maps.
Reader Daniel Peake sent in this image from Pentagon City:… Keep reading…

When passenger crowding becomes problematic, many transit agencies look toward expensive engineering solutions. But sometimes, the situation can be improved with some low-cost techniques and education. That’s the approach Santiago took at one of its transfer stations.
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The Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Northern Virginia is a major bike commuter route, but it’s not always easy to reach from surrounding neighborhoods. Two newly-upgraded paths in Vienna will improve access and safety for local residents, but wayfinding remains an issue.
Two weeks ago, the Town of Vienna paved a path connecting the W&OD Trail to Tapawingo Road… Keep reading…

Fort Totten is a convenient transfer point between Metro lines outside the core, but the station layout results in unnecessary crowding. Better signage could improve passenger flow and speed up trains, by helping users know where to stand on the platform.
Though crowding at Fort Totten is not as severe as at Gallery Place, the crowding at Fort Totten does cause delays to southbound… Keep reading…